The adventures of a Mad Hungry Woman

Brian’s American Eatery — a breakfast stop in San Diego

A friend and I stopped by this place for breakfast one morning while in San Diego because we wanted to use a www.restaurant.com voucher we had. I’d never been before and judging by its decor, one would assume that it was a typical diner-style establishment, but instead of the ubiquitous red booths, these were turquoise.

I saw they had patio seating and opted for that instead. It was a lovely crispy day and I didn’t want be cooped up sitting inside. I thought it was a great choice, until half way through our meal, some people came in, sat down and decided to ruin my breakfast by lighting up several cigarettes while perusing the menu.

Is it even legal to smoke within a certain distance of people eating? I thought there were some rules prohibiting that — maybe I’m wrong.

Luckily, I was able to eat half of my Californian Benedict before the cigarette-smoking duo arrived and made me lose my appetite.

It was pretty much your regular eggs Benedict but what made it “Californian” were the avocado slices.

The hollandaise wasn’t the best I’ve had, in fact, it wasn’t all smooth and looked on the verge to separating, but it managed to hold up. The cool breeze probably didn’t help and although it wasn’t as aesthetically pleasing as it could’ve been, it tasted just fine.

I think what made it passable was because the poached eggs still had somewhat of a runny yolk. Had it been completely cooked through, I would’ve been terribly upset. The huge piece of ham on top was overkill, but I guess some people like that and feel they got their money’s worth.

My friend had the typical pancake, sausage, scrambled eggs breakfast. The pancakes were made with buckwheat flour and filled with chunks of apples and cinnamon.

If I like sweet breakfasts, I would say this one wasn’t bad at all. I like how they incorporated everything into the batter and not just threw the apples on top when the pancakes were done. This way, you get chunks of apples in each bite instead of trying to assemble the pancake with some apples to get the right mouthful.

If you’re looking for freshly squeezed OJ, don’t order the one here. We asked and were told it was fresh, but I guess we weren’t specific enough. It was Tropicana fresh, not hand squeezed fresh.

This is a good place to come with a group because the portions are huge and people can share the plates. If you did it this way, it is well worth the price. For me, my stomach only allows for about half the portion and the rest goes to waste. I certainly don’t like to take my eggs Benedict home and reheat it for later. I’m sure nobody does.

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About Me

This blog is a journal of mostly my eating adventures, but also, other things I'm passionate about, including travel, the arts, and also, necessities to complete my life. Centered predominantly in and around Orange County, CA, some will extend to Los Angeles, San Diego and beyond. I am constantly searching for delicious food to eat and fun things to do, nothing is out of bounds. Sometimes it doesn't end well, but I can definitely say, it will always be an interesting journey.